##  [Groundwater Vulnerability in the Athabasca and Cold Lake Oil Sands Regions: Gaps, Opportunities, and Challenges](/resource/groundwater-vulnerability-athabasca-and-cold-lake-oil-sands-regions-gaps-opportunities-and) 

Organization

[InnoTech Alberta (ITA)](/organization/innotech-alberta-ita)

[University of Calgary (UofC)](/organization/university-calgary-uofc)

[University of Victoria (UVic)](/organization/university-victoria-uvic-0)

[Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)](/organization/environment-and-climate-change-canada-eccc)

 

 

Resource Type

[Peer reviewed article](/taxonomy/term/37)

 

 

Author(s)

Jean Birks

John Gibson

Jon Fennell

C.N. McClain

D. Sayanda

G. Bickerton

Yi Yi

Francisco Castrillon-Munoz

 

 

Original Authors

Jean Birks

John Gibson

 Jon Fennell

C.N. McClain

D. Sayanda

G. Bickerton

Yi Yi

F. Castrillon-Munoz

 

 

Resource Date:

2025

 

 

Oil sands development in the Athabasca and Cold Lake oil sands regions of Alberta has raised concerns about potential  
impacts to groundwater and groundwater dependent ecosystems. This review summarizes the current state of understanding  
as to how oil sands mining and in situ activities can affect groundwater systems using a stressor-mechanism-response framework.  
Specific oil sands activities and practices are reviewed, and where possible, described in terms of how they can impact  
hydraulic head, the hydraulic properties of aquifers, recharge and transport of constituents of concern and linked to observed  
or potential impacts to groundwater quantity and quality. Groundwater is an important component of the water balance in boreal  
ecosystems, and specific vulnerabilities related to development are reviewed, including water use, landscape disturbance,  
groundwater withdrawals, tailings pond seepage, deep well disposal and thermal impacts. Knowledge gaps include lack of  
baseline data and monitoring of the quantity and quality of groundwater discharge to rivers, lakes and wetlands. One key  
monitoring challenge is attribution of hydrogeologic responses to specific oil sands stressors given the range of other natural  
and anthropogenic factors contributing to their variability. Quantitative groundwater exchange mapping, regional-scale isotope  
mass balance assessment, and broader incorporation of isotopic and geochemical tracers for fingerprinting water sources  
and incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge appear promising for improved effectiveness of monitoring.